


The capital letter

by AmadannaBriona



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Takin' Over the Asylum
Genre: 1990s, Accents, Alternate Universe, Awkward Conversations, Bipolar Disorder, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Glasgow, Loneliness, Mental Health Issues, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Canon, Scotland, Self-Doubt, Some Plot, The Doctor meets Campbell Bain, The Doctor on His Own, The Doctor talks with TARDIS, Travelling in the TARDIS (Doctor Who)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmadannaBriona/pseuds/AmadannaBriona
Summary: It was somewhere between the 1992 and 1996, judging by the faded air. What about the place he was sent to, the Doctor could say nothing, because the grayish splashes everywhere made it impossible to distinguish anything specific, connected with a particular place on Earth.Apparently, it was Glasgow.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	The capital letter

«Am I a good man?» the words resonated from the walls of TARDIS, returning to the Doctor. He couldn’t help but smiled to himself, as his expectations have came true. TARDIS would never bother herself, answering to such dumb questions. A sudden thought had crossed his mind right before he decided to get down to his work, although he wasn’t sure, what exactly he had to do. So the Doctor considered this sudden thought as a relief, having now a couple of minutes to sort out things while the next question was terrorising the copper-coloured walls of TARDIS. 

«Do I deserve to be the Doctor?» 

Paraphrasing wasn’t a good idea — he came up to this thought when the TARDIS started to rumble. Firstly he had thought she was showing her annoyance, but a few minutes later he realised that she was laughing at him. Actually, he realised it, but couldn’t confess that it is so, as it would be kind of humiliation. And, despite the fact it had already happened many times, the Doctor couldn’t bear the humble pie from his own vehicle (he giggled nervously, imagining, what would happen if he dared to call the TARDIS ‘vehicle’). 

But that time the answer hit him so hard, he crashed into a panel, and only after a few minutes the Doctor understood that the whole TARDIS had fallen somewhere. 

Slowly, the Doctor got up and went out.

It was somewhere between the 1992 and 1996, judging by the faded air. What about the place he was sent to, the Doctor could say nothing, because the grayish splashes everywhere made it impossible to distinguish anything specific, connected with a particular place on Earth. 

The wind was howling in the narrow streets, calling the autumn, as the Doctor turned around and saw that he had landed right in front of some ancient castle. In wasn’t medieval times, though, and the castle was in poor condition, looking as it was going to fall apart in any second. 

«You like it?» The air bursted with million tiny sparkles, all gold and scratchy. 

Northern Glasgow.   
Where else could be an accent, which reminded a firecracker — dry, scorching, crackling. 

A boy about eighteen with fast, nervously rushing around eyes and a smile like from ads of cornflakes appeared in front of the Doctor, overshadowing the view on the castle. The Doctor was given a couple of quick, impatient glances, before he answered with a confronting question: «The castle?» 

«The hospital»

The Doctor might have looked like an absolute idiot, that’s why the boy gave him another quick, untrusting glance and went on with a little lower intonation: «Well, it was a castle, once upon a time, like in some fairytale, but all fairytales have to come to their ends, and here we are, in front of an asylum, despite it was — it should have been — a castle somewhen». 

«What?» 

«You can’t be a local. You have a northern accent, though». 

«It can be a different north elsewhere». The Doctor smirked. 

«Aye, aye. Of course it can, why not. That’s a pretty interesting theory, I like it. It means that there is also a different south elsewhere, doesn’t it? And I’d say it can be even warmer there, than on our old dull south. Oh, I want to live somewhere with the bright sun, but soft sunrises and, you know, this sense of freshness in the air that can be only near the sea... Looking lovely, isn’t it? Asylum, I mean»

«Aye. In some way». 

«I would rather say ‘absolutely brilliant’» the tough sound of ‘r’ frightened the pigeons and the Doctor winced, shocked how easily this boy, whose name he didn’t even know, stole his phrase. 

The Doctor felt like it was the first time he couldn’t say a word, because all of them had already been occupied by this weird stranger, who didn’t bother himself to ask if he distracts or irritates anyone in any way. 

«So, you’re a doctor?» 

He couldn’t know that, still he knew and was happy to share his knowledge of literally everything — the Doctor could only amuse. 

«And you haven’t recognised the hospital, that makes you a bit different. I have already seen some doctors, lots of them, being honest, and you’re someone different, different-different-different... Should I write you with a capital letter if I decide to take your phone number?»

«I don’t have a phone» 

«It’s a pity» and the boy gave the Doctor another wave of amusement just showing the expression of an utter disappointment on a freckled face. It was too sincere to be true, yet it was, and the Doctor was pretty sure in it — at least, he was sure in something today. 

And he was also sure that something was wrong with the boy’s expression and many others, as they were changing too fast to notice. At the same time it seemed very natural, as if it meant to be exactly like this — or it had gone the wrong way long, long time ago and now just fit in. 

«Not really». The Doctor managed to reply finally. «You can always use a blue box on a corner». And now the moment of slight disappointment was completely forgotten and the playful manner of the boy was picked up easily, as if it had to be so. 

«I’ve never seen a blue box here, in Glasgow. We don’t even have red ones, ‘cause it’s too... British?» He giggled. 

«If you need help, a blue box will be on the nearest corner, I promise». 

«T h e box, right? You mean the particular box, don’t you?» 

«Aye». The Doctor gave up. He wanted no longer playing around, letting thousands of words fidget and distract both of them — he let everything just go it’s own way. Sometimes this strategy could be useful, because, if to speak frankly, the Universe knew what to do much better. And now the Doctor knew only that the Universe had prepared a Thing, a damn fascinating Thing, which was going to amuse, overwhelm and burst with millions of sparkling ‘Wow’s’, like a firework in the middle of a grey sky, which will be painted in black so that the fireworks could be brighter. 

«Aye» echoed the boy, tasting every sound and filling his mouth with all of them. «And what about the particularity of your name? Are you t h e Doctor? Connected with the blue box on the nearest corner or there isn’t any box at all or it isn’t what it seems to be at first or it is everywhere at the same time, oh, it would be great, it would be incredible!»

«It is» The Doctor answered simply. 

«Incredible, unbelievable, all that stuff?» 

«And lots more»

«Then I believe in the Doctor with the blue box, and there is too many ‘the’, I can feel they’re buzzing on the tip of my tongue, oh, what a day, and I can even forgot about my sweatshirt... for a couple of hours, I’m going to buy it sooner or later». 

«Wait, wait» The conversation was too unpredictable and flowed its own way all the time, but this was too much. «What sweatshirt?» 

«Any one that would pass my headphones. Big yellow ones, professional ones, with my name of them, you know, with big glowing letters: ‘Campbell Bain’». 

«At least, I know your name now». 

Campbell didn’t seem to notice what the Doctor had said, he was too consumed with his own words, and he was also delighted, and maybe a little bit amused — but no one could be amused more than the Doctor at that time. The words didn’t leave a chance to go, but the Doctor didn’t actually want to. The grey sky, narrow cobbled streets and a castle which no longer was a castle absorbed him, made him to feel as if he was at home, and who knows, maybe he really was. 

«Have to go, are you coming with me?» Campbell put an end to their conversation — or rather his monologue — as sudden as it had started. 

«I have to go too». 

«Never say ‘yes’, never say ‘no’». He almost sang these words. «And what about the blue box? Does it give a chance to have a chat once more?»

«Of course it does». The Doctor smiled as he saw a sigh of relief and a wide smile blossoming on Campbell’s face. 

Campbell turned around, sprinkling golden stardust, and rushed away, deep inside the alleyways, which were covered with calmness and dusk. Somewhere in these alleyways he will find a sweatshirt, snap up a bargain or become ripped off. He will find a sweatshirt, but there will always be something missing, something on the tip of the tongue, slipping and melting and disappearing. And Campbell will be chasing it, jumping into clouds of golden stardust, choking and sneezing and sprinkling his manic energy, so even when the stars went out, there will be a lighted part of the Universe, near him. 

«A real Doctor» he kept repeating it, looking at the sky and buildings and the sky again.«I’ve never met such a real Doctor, such t h e Doctor». 

*** 

«So, am I a real Doctor at last?».

TARDIS didn’t answer, as usual. But now for a different reason: not because it was irritating or obvious, well, it was quite obvious, but in general it was a completely different case. 

The answer had been written on a thin inside of the Universe long before the question came up to the Doctor’s head. 

And there always had to be inquisitive, never resting, never calming down blobs of energy — to remind the Doctor he should never forget about the capital letter.


End file.
